The invention relates to an position selector device to create electronic signals representing selector positions.
A selector device to create selector positions is known from International Patent Publication No. WO 98 26 341 A1, and its corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 6,380,733. So that the selector positions may be created easily whose final positions may be securely used largely free of mechanical wear, a rotary sensor is provided that is free to move about its longitudinal axis and thus to position its position sensor teeth opposite teeth of a first position selector unit and to determine these positions by means of first position sensor elements that are positioned along the longitudinal axis in a finger body that may be pushed into a recess. For this, a second rotating body is placed upon a second position selector unit, and its position is determined via a second position sensor element. The second position selector unit is positioned opposite a base body via a two-dimensional positioning device. These positions are determined by third position sensor elements.
This mechanism has proved itself, but has room for improvement. The main point is that pre-selected positions that are arrived at via two-dimensional displacement may be simplified.
This objective, as well as further objects which will become apparent from the discussion that follows, are achieved, in accordance with the present invention by providing a position selector device having:
(a) an inverted cup-like base body with an upper portion and a side portion;
(b) a substantially cylindrical rotary member mounted on a shaft, and arranged to rotate within the base body;
(c) a first position sensor for sensing the angular position of the rotary member;
(d) a toothed ring arranged to provide raster movement of the rotary member;
(e) a disk disposed centrally within the upper portion of the base body and arranged for tilting and/or lateral displacement within the base body;
(f) a second position sensor for sensing the tilting and/or lateral displacement; and
(g) a magnet arrangement for restoring said disk to its central position in said base body after its tilting and/or lateral displacement movement.
The advantages achieved by the invention consist particularly of the fact that the disk body is located in the engaging area of the user""s fingers, thus allowing easy operation.
Based on this, a magnetic tilt switch or slide switch may be produced that may be used to adjust a mirror or similar device in a motor vehicle. If necessary, this switch may be implemented with or without position assignment. The tilt switch device may also be a part of a tilt and raster switch device, or part of a tilt, raster, and tip switch device. The selector positions of the rotor hollow body are thereby accepted without making a sound. In order to provide the sounds that the user has come to expect, switching sound spheres are incorporated into switching sound grooves of a switching sound ring magnet. By the use of a repelling magnet element, the tilt magnet element allows switching movements that may be influenced by magnetic characteristic force curves. The tilt, push, raster, and/or tip positions are determined by the position arrangement, and the signals generated by the device may be used for regulators, controllers, switching, displays or similar apparatus.
The base body may be part of the rotor hollow body or of a separate switch. It may be shaped corresponding to the circumstances of its use.
The disk body may be either tilted or displaced above the motion element opposite the rotor hollow body.
The tilting may be supported by an at least partially surrounding groove. The groove may be of various cross-sectional shapes such as round, oval, or triangular. At least one sphere may be provided to support the displacement motion. The housing body may be at least partially surrounded by a hollow cylinder. This cylinder rests at least partially on a dimming element. Thus, the entire raster tilting switch is supported and the housing dimming body is guided securely.
The housing body may include a tilt switch receiver recess. The disk body may fit into this tilt switch receiver recess. The disk body may be held by a link with the base position arrangement opposite the rotor hollow body. This base position arrangement ensures that the disk element always returns to a defined initial position after it leaves the operating position. Thus, simple and reliable operation of the disk body is provided.
If the disk body is displaced, a displacement body recess may be provided that can work together with a displacement wall of the tilt switch recess.
A label plate may be incorporated into the disk body. The raster tilt switch may be designated using this label plate, making it easier to locate.
The basic position magnet arrangement may consist of an upper magnet incorporated into the disk body opposite which a plate element may be positioned that may be located within a final plate element of the rotor hollow body. This ensures that the disk body returns to its initial position. The lower plate element may be formed of an iron plate element or as a lower magnet.
The position sensor element may consist of a light sensor. It may consist of an arrangement of magnets that may be moved opposite a Hall sensor. Depending on the identification of individual positions, the arrangement of magnets may be formed of at least one displacement magnet element, or a ring magnet with corresponding polarization. Displacement switches, tilt switches, and/or rotation switches may all use Hall sensors. Double switches that are assigned to the magnet elements might find additional use as position sensors. Double Hall sensors may also be used as rotation sensors. This makes it possible to determine the direction of rotation.
Two opposing noise sphere receptor recesses may be included in the stator body element into each of which a switching sound sphere is inserted. Of course, other switching sound spheres may be included for which the corresponding recesses are provided. In order to emphasize individual switching positions, two or more switching sound spheres may be positioned adjacent to each other. Also, the switching sound spheres may be of differing sizes, and may be implemented as complete or hollow spheres.
Likewise, numerous switching sound grooves may be positioned in the switching sound ring magnet element as there are position sensor teeth. The individual elements may be compatible with one another.
The tilt switch device may also be expanded so that the magnet counter-element is a repelling magnet element that is positioned opposite the tilt magnet element on one side, whereby at least the plate element is arranged opposite the tilt magnet element on its other side. For this, the tilt magnet element may be arranged with one of its magnetic poles opposite the same magnetic pole of the counter-magnet element, and with its other magnetic pole at least opposite the disk element. Thus, the tilt motion curve may be effectively influenced. The curve may be additionally influenced if the tilt magnet element and/or the counter-magnet element include halves of a magnetic north pole and a magnetic south pole. In addition to the magnetic division, at least an iron yoke may at least partially surround the tilt switch magnet element.
A damping body may be positioned at least partially between the plate element and the tilt magnet element. This damping body damps the strike of the tilt magnet element against the plate body. Additionally, it influences the beginning of the tilt motion by means of its spring force.
The plate element may be in the form of a steel plate element. This makes the magnetic attractive force issuing from the magnet element effective.
The individual parts of the position selector device, such as the tilt magnet element, counter-magnet element, steel plate element, damping supports, etc. may be arranged within a tilt switch housing body. This tilt switch housing body may be pressed into a tilt switch receiver recess of the stator body elements. Simultaneously, the shaft element may be continued as a pushrod element that transfers the tilt motions issuing from the shaft element to the tilt magnet element. The tilt switch device may be produced at another location, and needs only to be finally inserted into the stator body element. This would greatly reduce manufacturing costs. If defects appear in the tilt switch device, it may be extracted and repaired or replaced by a new unit.
All magnet elements used may be in the form of permanent magnets.
For a full understanding of the present invention, reference should now be made to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.